Prune-based nutrient-rich materials and related processes

ABSTRACT

A prune paste and related process including drying plums according to a temperature profile tailored to produce prunes retaining at least 75% of nutrients from the plums (vitamin K, vitamin C, and minerals comprising iron, potassium and phosphorus). A prune-based product and related process including the combination of the prune paste and at least one nutrient-rich material comprising beans, seeds, spices and concentrates of nutrients. The at least one nutrient-rich material may be selected to synergistically enhance bioavailability of other specific nutrients from the prune paste. The prune-based product may be consumed to reduce constipation, iron deficiency or insufficiency, osteoporosis and related bone diseases and/or cardiovascular risks.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The technical field generally relates to nutrient-containing materials,and more particularly to prune-based materials and related productionprocesses.

BACKGROUND

A plum is a fruit of the genus Prunus. European plum (Prunus domestica)and Japanese plum (Prunus salicina and hybrids) are of commercialsignificance across the globe.

Plums have been described as food with health-promoting properties.According to scientific research data, plums have been shown to possesslaxative, antioxidant, anti-allergic and anti-inflammatorycharacteristics. These effects have been attributed to high fiber andphenolic content, mostly the anthocyanins, which are known to be naturalantioxidants. Recently, prune consumption has been associated withimproved cognitive function, bone health parameters and cardiovascularrisk factors. Most of the human trials used the dried form of plumsrather than fresh fruit, thus promoting dried plums in a healthy diet.Dried form of plums is commonly called prunes.

A typical industrial plum drying process includes drying whole plums ata first temperature between 85° C. and 95° C. for a period of 19 hoursto 23 hours in order to produce a dried plum having a level of moisturebetween 19% and 23%. Processes further include Aeration Water Treatmentof the dried plum at a second temperature of 90° C. During thistreatment step, water is added to the dried plum to produce a prunehaving a moisture content between 33% and 40% to enable mechanical pitremoval. Preservation of desired nutrients is jeopardized during theserehydration and high temperature treatment steps. More particularly,vitamins, carbohydrates, anthocyanins are nutrients that may be modifiedor degraded. Then, pit is mechanically removed. Several mechanical pitremoval devices have been developed but presence of pit residuals is notpossible to control.

Challenges remain to produce fruit-based products, especiallyprune-based products, while preserving nutrients of the fruit so as tofully provide their health benefits.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, there is provided a process for producing a prune-basedproduct from plums, the process comprising:

-   -   manually removing pit, petiole and residue from the plums to        produce cleaned plums;    -   drying the cleaned plums according to a temperature profile        tailored to produce prunes retaining at least 75% of nutrients        from the plums, the nutrients comprising vitamin K, vitamin C,        iron, potassium and phosphorus; and    -   combining the prunes with at least one nutrient-rich material to        produce the prune-based product having a moisture content        between 15 wt % and 30 wt %.

In some implementations, combining the prunes with the at leastone-nutrient rich ingredient comprises grinding the prunes to produce anextrudable prune paste having a moisture content between 20 wt % and 30wt %; and then mixing the prune paste with the at least onenutrient-rich material.

In other implementations, combining the prunes with the at leastone-nutrient rich ingredient comprises mixing the prunes with the atleast one nutrient-rich material to produce a prune-based mixture; andthen grinding the prune-based mixture to produce an extrudable prunepaste having a moisture content between 20 wt % and 30 wt %.

In another aspect, there is provided a process for producing aprune-based product from plums, the process comprising:

-   -   manually removing pit, petiole and residue from the plums to        produce cleaned plums;    -   drying the cleaned plums according to a temperature profile        tailored to produce prunes retaining at least 75% of nutrients        from the plums, the nutrients comprising vitamin K, vitamin C,        iron, potassium and phosphorus;    -   grinding the prunes to produce an extrudable prune paste having        a moisture content between 20 wt % and 30 wt %;    -   combining the prune paste with at least one nutrient-rich        material to produce a prune-based mixture;    -   shaping the prune-based mixture into a desired shape of the        prune-based product; and    -   drying the shaped prune-based mixture to obtain the prune-based        product having a moisture content between 15 wt % and 30 wt %.

In another aspect, there is provided a process for producing a prunepaste from plums, the process comprising:

-   -   manually removing pit, petiole and any residue from the plums to        produce cleaned plums;    -   drying the cleaned plums according to a temperature profile        tailored to produce prunes retaining at least 75% of specific        vitamins and other nutrients from the plums; and    -   grinding the prunes to produce an extrudable prune paste having        a moisture content between 20 wt % and 30 wt %.

In some implementations, the drying comprises:

-   -   subjecting the plums to a first temperature level during a first        period; and    -   subjecting the plums to a second temperature level during a        second period;    -   the second temperature level and second duration being lower        than the first temperature level and first duration        respectively, to produce prunes having a moisture content        between 25 wt % and 35 wt %.

The first temperature level may be between 40° C. and 65° C. and thefirst duration may be between 8 hours and 12 hours. Optionally, thefirst temperature level is about 55° C. and the first duration is about10 hours. The second temperature level may be between 30° C. and 60° C.and the second duration may be between 3 hours and 5 hours. Optionally,the second temperature level is about 45° C. and the second duration isabout 4 hours.

In some implementations, the drying may be performed at atmosphericpressure in a conventional dryer. The drying can comprise organizing thecleaned plums as a one-layer structure to enhance drying thereof.

In some implementations, the grinding may comprise sieving the prunepaste

In some implementations, manually removing pit, petiole and any residuefrom the plums may comprise cutting each plum to create an aperturesized to enable removal of the pit. Optionally, the process furthercomprises closing the aperture created by the cut after removal of thepit to reduce juice leakage therefrom. In addition, manually removingpit, petiole and any residue from the plums may comprise screening theplums to detect any remaining residue and undesirable plum condition.

In another aspect, there is provided a process for producing a fruitpaste from pitted fruits, the process comprising:

-   -   manually removing pit, petiole and any residue from the fruit to        produce cleaned fruits;    -   drying the cleaned fruits according to a temperature profile        tailored to produce dried fruits retaining at least 75% of        specific vitamins and other nutrients from the fruits; and    -   grinding the dried fruits to produce an extrudable fruit paste        having a moisture content between 20 wt % and 30 wt %.

In another aspect, there is provided a prune paste produced by theprocess defined herein.

In some implementations, the prune paste may have a moisture contentbetween 20 wt % and 30 wt %. Optionally, the prune paste has a vitamin Kcontent between 48 μg to 60 μg, a potassium content between 1000 mg and1250 mg, a vitamin C content between 5 mg and 10 mg, a glucose contentof at most 25% and a fructose content of at most 20% per 100 g of prunepaste. Further optionally, the prune paste may contain nutrients at alevel substantially similar to the plums, the nutrients includingvitamins comprising vitamin K and vitamin C, and minerals comprisingiron, potassium and phosphorus.

In some implementations, the plums may be ripe plums. Optionally, theplums may be organic plums. Further optionally, the plums may be non-GMOplums.

In another aspect, there is provided a process for producing aprune-based product from plums, the process comprising:

-   -   manually removing pit, petiole and any residue from the plums to        produce cleaned plums;    -   drying the cleaned plums according to a temperature profile        tailored to reduce degradation of nutrients from the plums and        produce prunes;    -   grinding the prunes to produce an extrudable prune paste;    -   combining the prune paste with at least one nutrient-rich        material to produce a prune-based mixture;    -   shaping the prune-based mixture into a desired shape of the        prune-based product; and    -   drying the shaped prune-based mixture to obtain the prune-based        product having a moisture content between 15 wt % and 30 wt %.

In some implementations, combining the prune paste with the at least onenutrient-rich material may be performed with at least 50 wt % of prunepaste, optionally with at least 80 wt % of prune paste.

In some implementations, combining the prune paste with the at least onenutrient-rich material may comprise selecting the at least onenutrient-rich material to synergistically enhance bioavailability ofspecific nutrients from the prune-based mixture.

In some implementations, combining the prune paste with the at least onenutrient-rich material may comprise mixing the prune paste with the atleast one nutrient-rich material at a speed reducing or minimizingdegradation of nutrients. Optionally, combining the prune paste with theat least one nutrient-rich material may comprise mixing the prune pastewith the at least one nutrient-rich material at a temperature between25° C. and 35° C.

In some implementations, shaping the prune-based mixture may compriseextruding the prune-based mixture into a bar shape, a spaghetti shape, aband shape or analogs thereof. Optionally, shaping the prune-basedmixture may comprise cutting the prune-based mixture to produce barsegments, bite-sized segments, spaghettis of given length and analogsthereof.

In some implementations, the process may further comprise coating theshaped prune-based mixture with at least one layer of anothernutrient-rich material.

In some implementations, the drying of the prune-based mixture may beperformed at room temperature.

In another aspect, there is provided a process for producing aprune-based product from the prune paste as defined herein, the processcomprising:

-   -   combining the prune paste with at least one nutrient-rich        material to produce a prune-based mixture;    -   shaping the prune-based mixture into a desired shape of the        prune-based product; and    -   drying the shaped prune-based mixture to obtain the prune-based        product having a moisture content between 15 wt % and 30 wt %.

In another aspect, there is provided a prune-based product produced bythe process defined herein.

In another aspect, there is provided a prune-based product including atleast 50% of a prune paste as defined herein, and at most 50% of atleast one nutrient-rich material.

In some implementations, the at least one nutrient-rich material may beselected to synergistically enhance bioavailability of a nutrient fromthe prune-based product. Optionally, the at least one nutrient-richmaterial may comprise seeds, beans, other fruits, vegetables and spices.

In some implementations, the prune-based product may comprise at most 50wt % of beans or/and seeds, and at most 4 wt % of spices. Optionally,the beans are cocoa beans in the form of cocoa powder and the seedscomprise chia seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds, raspberry seeds,blackberry seeds, chokeberry seeds or related seeds.

Optionally, the prune-based product may be shaped as a bar, a bite-sizedbar segment, a spaghetti, a band or analogs thereof.

In some implementations, the prune-based product may have a non-hemeiron content between 8 mg and 20 mg (minimum 45% of daily value needs),a vitamin K content between 40 μg and 52 μg (minimum 50% of daily valueneeds), a vitamin C content between 4 mg and 10 mg, a potassium contentbetween 800 mg and 1300 mg/100 g, a calcium content between 95 and 500mg per 100 g of prune-based product, and having a content of availablesimple sugars (glucose and fructose) decreased by at least 5% incomparison to traditional prunes.

In another aspect, there is provided a use of the prune-based product asdefined herein, as a natural supplement or functional food product richin specific nutrients capable to reduce or prevent constipation, irondeficiency or insufficiency, osteoporosis and related bone diseasesand/or cardiovascular risks.

In another aspect, there is provided a use of the prune-based product asdefined herein for cooking, for food preparation, or as a ready-to-eatproduct.

In another aspect, there is provided a method to produce a fruit-basedproduct, the method comprising:

-   -   producing a fruit paste by the process as defined herein; and    -   selecting at least one nutrient-rich material which        synergistically enhances bioavailability of specific nutrients        from the fruit-based product;    -   combining the at least one nutrient-rich material with at least        80 wt % of the fruit paste to produce the fruit-based product.

Optionally, the process may further comprise conditioning thefruit-based product to preserve integrity of the nutrients and themoisture content of the fruit paste.

In another aspect, there is provided a prune-based bar comprising atleast 50 wt % of prune paste having a moisture content between 15% and30%, the prune paste being derived from plums dried and grinded attemperatures below 60° C. Optionally, the prune-based bar may have anon-heme iron content between 8 mg and 20 mg, a vitamin K contentbetween 40 μg and 55 μg, a vitamin C content between 4 mg and 7.5 mg, apotassium content between 800 mg and 1300 mg, a calcium content between100 and 500 mg per 100 g of prune-based product, and a content ofavailable simple sugars decreased by at least 5% in comparison totraditional prunes.

In another aspect, there is provided a prune-based product comprising atleast 80 wt % prune paste having a moisture content between 20% and 30%,a non-heme iron content between 10 mg and 20 mg, a vitamin K contentbetween 48 μg and 60 μg, a vitamin C content between 5 mg and 10 mg, apotassium content between 1000 mg and 1250 mg, a calcium content between100 and 150 mg per 100 g of prune-based product, and a content ofavailable simple sugars decreased by at least 10% in comparison totraditional prunes.

In some implementations, the prune-based product may be shaped as a bar,a bite-sized bar segment, a spaghetti, a band or analogs thereof.

Optionally, the prune-based product may further comprise at least onenutrient-rich material being seeds, beans, other fruits, vegetables,spices, at least one concentrate of a nutrient or a combination thereof.Further optionally, the at least one concentrate of a nutrient includesvitamin D, vitamin A, calcium or a combination thereof.

In another aspect, there is provided a process for producing a prunepaste from plums, the process comprising:

-   -   manually removing pit, petiole and any residue from the plums to        produce cleaned plums;    -   drying the cleaned plums according to a temperature profile        tailored to produce prunes having a content of available simple        sugars decreased by at least 5% in comparison to traditional        prunes; and    -   grinding the prunes to produce an extrudable prune paste having        a moisture content between 20 wt % and 30 wt %.

Optionally, the content of available simple sugars may be decreased byat least 10% in comparison to traditional prunes.

The objects, advantages and other features of the present invention willbecome more apparent and be better understood upon reading of thefollowing non-restrictive description of the invention, given withreference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of general process steps to produce prunepaste.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of detailed process steps to produce prunepaste.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of process steps to produce prune-basedbars.

FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of a prune-based product havingseveral shapes.

While the invention will be described in conjunction with exampleembodiments, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit thescope of the invention to these embodiments. On the contrary, it isintended to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as maybe included as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

While the present description focuses on processing plums to produceprunes, prune paste and prune-based products, one skilled in the artwill understand that the general teachings regarding prunes may beapplied to any other pitted or seeded fruits without departing from thescope of the present invention. Such pitted or seeded fruits include,but are not limited to, peaches, apricots, nectarines, mangoes,cherries, chokeberry, as well as apples and pears.

Conventional processing steps regarding fruit drying and fruit pastemanufacture, include for example rehydration, high-temperature drying,freezing steps which can degrade nutrients having health-promotingproperties. The techniques described herein provide a solution to avoidthose steps while producing nutrient-rich fruit-based materials.

In the following description, the term “about” means within anacceptable error range for the particular value as determined by one ofordinary skill in the art, which will depend in part on how the value ismeasured or determined, i.e. the limitations of the measurement system.It is commonly accepted that a 10% precision measure is acceptable andencompasses the term “about”.

In this description, an embodiment is an example or implementation ofthe inventions. The various appearances of “one embodiment,” “anembodiment” or “some embodiments” do not necessarily all refer to thesame embodiments. Although various features of the invention may bedescribed in the context of a single embodiment, the features may alsobe provided separately or in any suitable combination. Conversely,although the invention may be described herein in the context ofseparate embodiments for clarity, the invention may also be implementedin a single embodiment.

Health Benefits from Prunes

Prunes are known to have benefits in several health domains.

Traditionally, prunes are known for their laxative effect, which can beattributed to its high fiber content and the presence of polyphenols(such as chlorogenic acid) and sorbitol.

In addition, promising evidence exists on the effect of prunes on bonehealth. Prunes contain polyphenols directly inhibitingosteoclasto-genesis, which leads to reduced osteoclast activity and boneresorption. Plum extract has also been shown to be effective inincreasing bone calcium retention by 20%. Studies have also shown thatprunes add an anabolic effect on trabecular bone in the vertebra andprevented bone loss in the tibia. Ability of prunes to prevent the lossof total body BMD in older, osteopenic postmenopausal women have alsobeen confirmed.

It has been observed that the short-term effect of prunes, included assnacks prior to a meal, increase satiety in normal-weight individuals.In addition, one study demonstrated that a preload of prunes incomparison with a bread product before a meal resulted in lower energyintake at later meals, including lunch and the desert (910 Kcal±233 onprunes day vs 971 Kcal±249 on bread product day, P value 0.010) as wellas increased satiety at all time points tested between the snack andmeal.

The antioxidant property of plums has mostly been attributed to its highphenolic content. It has been demonstrated that nine different fruitjuices, including plum juice, exhibited significant antioxidant effectsin human plasma within 30 minutes of consumption by suppressing reactiveoxygen species generation. One study confirmed the antioxidantcapability of plums in young, middle-aged and elderly adults. Afterconsumption of 195 g of plum twice a day for 5 days, there was asignificant increase from baseline in urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (anantioxidant) and total antioxidant capacity levels. Similarly, it wasobserved that following consumption of the Queen Garnet™ plum juice,there was a threefold increase in hippuric acid excretion (a potentialbiomarker for total polyphenols intake and metabolite), an increase inurinary antioxidant capacity and a reduction in malondialdehydeexcretion, which is a biomarker for oxidative stress.

This effect on cognition has mainly been attributed to the antioxidantproperty of plums as a result its high polyphenolic content. It wasobserved in animal studies that there was an improvement in cognitionwith the plum juice. Plum consumption protected against oxidative stressinduced by radiation with special attention to spatial learning. Studieshave also shown that plum possesses prophylactic ability againstradiation-induced metabolic disorders and also improved spatiallearning. The plum supplemented diet had a significant beneficial effecton spatial memory and learning. There was also a significant reductionin expression of cerebral beta-amyloid, which is evident in Alzheimer'sdisease.

The effect of prunes on reducing risk factors for cardiovascular diseasemay be associated with anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects andit is based on the reduction of low-density lipoprotein (LDL)cholesterol. It has been observed in adult men with mildhypercholesterolemia that supplementation with prunes significantlylowered plasma LDL cholesterol compared with a grape juice in a controlgroup. A significantly lower fecal bile acid concentration oflithocholic acid was also reported. There was a cholesterol-loweringeffect for serum total and LDL cholesterol after 12 months of plumconsumption, but this was not significant and required further research.

The present plum processing techniques have been developed to create aprune paste or a prune-base product that can provide enhanced ormaximized health benefits to a consumer by preserving nutrientsnaturally present in plums. Pre-pitting of the plums, drying at lowtemperatures and short drying times, enable obtaining desirable moisturecontent while preserving nutrients at a higher level than for typicallyavailable prunes.

Fruit Paste Implementations

It should be understood that fruit paste refers herein to a pasteprepared from the corresponding fruit without any additives. Forexample, the prune paste refers to a paste prepared from plums. Moreparticularly, the prune paste is produced according to severalprocessing steps which include washing and classifying ripe plums;removing pits, petiole and other residuals from the ripe plums;subjecting the plums to a drying procedure to produce prunes andgrinding the prunes to produce a prune paste.

It should be noted that grinding may encompass milling or crushingperformed in a way to minimize destruction of the fibers from the prune,e.g. by keeping at least 70% of the fibers. Combined grinding andheating can vary the ratio of soluble and insoluble fibers and canincrease surface area of fibers such that they can hydrate rapidly.

Referring to FIG. 1, production of the fruit paste is characterized by apreparation stage including pit, petiole and residues removal which isperformed before any drying step, such that traditional rehydrationsteps, subsequent to the drying step and used to ease the removal of thepits, can be avoided.

Referring to FIG. 2, prune paste production (10) includes several plumpreparation steps to condition the plums before drying. The plums arefirst pre-washed (100) and classified by size before being cut (102) forremoval of the pit and petiole (104). The cut is sized to enable pitremoval but is minimized to keep as much as possible of the juices andnutrients within the fruit.

A screening step (106) can be performed to ensure removal of any pitresidual, fruit worms or any plums in non-desirable condition.Optionally, the plum is closed by gently pressing the fruit proximate tothe cut so as to further reduce juice leaking through the aperture leftby an unclosed cut. It should be understood that closing the plum refersto reducing or minimization of a gap between two parts of the plum,created by the cut, and enabling juices from the inside of the plum tobe expelled and lost.

Plum cutting (102), pit removal (104), plum screening (106) and plumclosing (107) may be advantageously performed manually as availablemechanical means are not able to control presence of non-desirableresiduals, detect unsuited plums or adequately close the cut plum. Insome implementations, the plums are fully ripe and pesticide free.Optionally, the plums are cultivated organically and are non-GMO(Genetically Modified Organism). It should be further noted that theplums may be harvested by hand or by any available mechanical means.

To become prunes that have the right consistency for the future paste,prepared plums have to dried to reduce a humidity thereof. Drying isperformed to obtain a prune having a moisture content between 25% and35%, optionally between 26% and 28%. Still referring to FIG. 2, afterpit removal (104) and closing plum aperture, plums are sent to thedrying stage that includes at least two drying steps (108, 110) whichare controlled to ensure preservation of the nutrients from the plums.It should be noted that preservation of the nutrients is related to anyphysical steps that avoid or reduce degradation of the nutrients fromthe original fruit. Preservation by addition of chemicals is notencompassed herein. Duration and temperature of each drying steps aretwo factors that are controlled to ensure or enhance preservation of thenutrients. The first drying step (108) is performed for a durationbetween 8 and 12 hours, optionally about 10 hours, and at a temperaturebetween 40° C. and 65° C., optionally about 55° C. The second dryingstep (110) is performed for a duration between 3 and 5 hours, optionally4 hours, and at a temperature between 30 and 60° C., optionally about45° C. One skilled in the art will understand that drying time mayincrease with the size of the plum to be dried. The drying is performedin two steps to minimize the duration at higher temperature levels inorder to reduce or prevent degradation of nutrients.

It should be noted that preservation chemicals, such as potassiumsorbate, are not used in this process. It should be further understoodthat the process may be modified to include two or more drying stepstailored to different temperature levels to ensure slow drying withoutdeparting from the scope of the present invention.

In some implementations, these two drying steps are performed in aconventional dryer with hot air circulating system at atmosphericpressure where the prepared plums are for example arranged on wood orstainless steel slats in one layer to optimize drying.

In other implementations, the drying steps can be performed under vacuumto further preserve nutrients from the fruit and the drying temperaturescan be controlled in an autoclave.

Once the prunes have reached the desired moisture content through dryingsteps, they are processed to be converted into prune paste. One skilledin the art will note that paste is to be understood as a soft orsemi-soft mass having a substantially smooth consistency. The pasteresults from grinding the fruit such that the paste is extrudable butkeep fibers from the fruit substantially intact. Calibration of thegrinding may be performed such that lumps greater than 3 mm are notpresent within the paste.

Still referring to FIG. 2, prunes undergo grinding (112) in order toobtain a prune paste having a moisture content between 20% and 30%,optionally about 25%. In some implementations, grinding may be performedby using UNGER™ system for meat grinding including different sizes ofsieves. It should be noted that the prunes may be grinded immediatelyafter the drying stage such that the grinding may benefit from the factthat the prunes are still warm. Alternatively, prunes can be storedbefore grinding.

It should be further noted that traditional prunes or prune paste referto herein to prunes or prune paste produced by process already andtypically available in the art including high-temperature drying,aeration treatment and rehydration.

It should also be noted that various plum species may be used in thepresent process implementations, including the European plum (Prunusdomestica) and Japanese plum (Prunus salicina). Plum species may beselected according to its nutrients contents.

Fruit-Based Product Implementations

Processing techniques encompass production of nutritive products derivedfrom the produced prune paste. The prune paste that is producedaccording to the above described steps can be stored adequately to beprevented from drying or mixed immediately with at least one additionalnutrient-rich material according to the desired final nutritiveprune-based product.

It should be noted that use of the preparation and drying techniquesaccording to the present invention minimizes post-processing needs andassociated losses of the prune paste and enables easier integration inthe final product with enhanced health properties and nutritive values.The prune-based product may be referred to as functional food which canbe provided to a consumer under various forms including nutritive bars,bite-sized portions or granules. The prune-based product may be aready-to-eat product or may be used in cooking and food preparation.

Referring to FIG. 3, production of the prune-based product includes amixing step in order to combine the prune paste with at least oneadditional nutrient-rich material. The mixing may be performed with astandard industrial stand mixer including a hook tool at a rotationspeed between 20 and 120 rpm. The speed of the mixing may be controlledto minimize degradation of the nutrients and optionally at a temperaturebetween 25° C. and 35° C. Heating of the mixture may not be necessary ifthe prune paste is mixed with the additional nutrient-rich materialssubstantially right after the last drying step.

The resulting prune-based mixture undergo one or more conditioning stepsaccording to the final form selected for the prune-based product. Forexample, referring to FIG. 3, extrusion (116) is performed to shape theprune paste to the dimensions of a bar, and cutting (118) follows toproduce bar segments which size is suitable as a nutritive food portionfor the consumer. The same steps may be adapted to produce a spaghettishape, a band shape, bite shape, granules and analogs thereof. Cuttingmay be performed simultaneously to extrusion or subsequently toextrusion. It should be noted that the shaping techniques encompassedherein are not limited to extrusion and include any shaping techniquesavailable to one skilled in the art to produce sized food from theprune-based mixture or prune paste. Some shaping techniques may notrequire a subsequent cutting step.

Optionally, the prune-based product may be coated with a layer ofchocolate including dark, milk or white chocolate. Further optionally,nuts or seeds may be added to the chocolate layer. The chocolate coatingstep may be performed at a temperature below 31° C.

Still referring to FIG. 3, a drying step (120) is performed as a finalstep of the conditioning stage to finalize the prune-based producthaving a moisture content between 25 and 27%. Optionally, theprune-based products are let to dry at room temperature for few hours(between 12 and 24 hours).

It should be noted that the prune-based product may be simply producedfrom pure prune paste without departing from the scope of the presentinvention. For example, prune paste may be extruded according to variousgeometries and cut to form prune bars. Few examples are illustrated onFIG. 4.

The prune-based product includes at least 80% of prune paste and at most20% of the at least one additional nutrient-rich material. Techniquesrelated to production of the prune-based product include selection ofthe at least one additional nutrient component to be slowly mixed withthe prune paste.

As mentioned above, the prune-based product is prepared to serve asfunctional food or supplement having laxative, antioxidant andanti-inflammatory characteristics and improving iron deficiency and/orinsufficiency (anemia), cognitive function, bone health while decreasingcardiovascular risk factors. The at least one nutrient-rich material maybe selected among beans, seeds and spices containing nutrients that canprovide additional benefits or enhance targeted health benefits from theprune, while providing a satisfactory taste to the consumer. Beans,seeds and spices may be grinded into powder before combination with theprune paste. Additionally, the at least one nutrient-rich material maybe selected among micro-nutrients under a concentrate form, includingconcentrates of vitamin D, vitamin A and calcium, in the form ofpre-made liquid concentrate, powder or beads to be added in the prunepaste during the mixing step.

In some implementations, the nutrient-rich material is selected tosynergistically enhance the bioavailability of a targeted nutrient fromthe prune-based mixture. A combination of nutrient may indeed be used toallow better absorption and bioavailability of one nutrient which canenhance health benefits therefrom. For example, vitamin C is known tofavor absorption of iron.

Typically, the at least one nutrient-rich material added may be cocoapowder.

Additional nutrient-rich material may be added such as seeds includingchia, sesame, raspberry, chokeberry etc. and spices such as cinnamon,vanilla, nutmeg etc.

As shown in the experimentation section, prune paste may be combinedwith at least one of cocoa powder, chia seeds and cinnamon, and preparedas a prune-based bar which is able to provide nutrients in aconcentration and quantity that may reduce impact of the nutrientdeficiency or insufficiency (anemia) or specific bone health problems. Aportion of 100 g of prune-based bar may provide a non-heme iron contentof at least 55% of daily value needs (optionally at least 60%, furtheroptionally at least 68%), a vitamin K content of at least 60% of dailyvalue needs and a potassium content of at least 32% of daily valueneeds.

As further shown in the experimentation section, plums dried by thepresent techniques produce a prune paste having a decreased content inavailable simple sugars, including glucose and fructose, in comparisonto traditionally available prunes, thereby further enhancing potentialhealth benefits that may result from consumption of the present prunepaste or prune-based products.

It should be noted that some of the steps may be performed in differentorder as the one exemplified herein as readily understood by one skilledin the art. For example, the addition of the at least one rich-nutrientmaterial can be performed before or after grinding the prunes to form apaste. Additionally, one nutrient-rich material can be added to theprunes before grinding to produce a prune paste, and anothernutrient-rich material could be combined to the formed prune paste bymixing.

It should be understood that a traditionally available prune ortraditional prune refers to herein as a plum dried by availableindustrial processes, such as those mentioned in the background section,and commercially available typical prunes.

EXPERIMENTATION RESULTS

A first example of a prune-based bar (referred to herein after asBON-BONE™) includes more than 80% of prune paste, and up to 10% of chiaseeds and cocoa powder with not more than 1% of cinnamon.

Another example of a spaghetti-like prune-based product (referred toherein as Prunetti™) includes more than 90% of prune paste and less than10% of cocoa powder.

TABLE 1 Nutritional Facts Unit Value per 100 g Energy kJ/kcal1033-1416/245-338 Total fat g  1.9-12.8 Fatty acids - total saturated g1.2-6.9 Fatty acids - total monounsaturated g 0.6-3.7 Fatty acids -total polyunsaturated g 0.1-2.5 Carbohydrate g 40.3-45.0 (10-15% DV)Total sugars g   28-33.7 Glucose % 13.7-20.5 Fructose %   16-15.4 Totaldietary fibers g 14.7-15.8 (minimum 59% DV) Protein g 4.6-7.6 Sodium g 0Potassium mg   1066-1227.7 (minimum 32% DV) Iron mg   10-15.2 (minimum55% DV) Vitamin C mg   4-7.5 Vitamin K μg   38-51.1 (minimum 50% DV)Calcium mg 103-115

As seen on Table 1, high content of prune paste (at least 50%,optionally above 80%) and high amount of specific vitamins, minerals andother nutrients can allow BON-BONE™ and PRUNETTI™ products to expresssubstantially similar effects and health benefits as the prune itself,including laxative, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effect of prunesas well as prevention and management of iron deficiency/insufficiency(anemia) and osteoporosis, which shows promising evidence as anadjunctive therapy.

Table 2 offers a comparison of available simple sugars percentagebetween traditionally available prunes and a prune prepared according tothe herein defined process implementations. Table 2 shows that thepresent process techniques, including drying, enable a reduction ofavailable simple sugars by at least 5%, optionally by up to 10%.

Paste Nutritional fromTraditional Facts Unit Prune Prune paste Glucose %22.51-23.38 13.80-20.93 Fructose % 18.43-19.05 15.41-16.25

In addition, presence of the additional nutrient-rich materials (cocoapowder and chia seeds for example) further synergistically enhanceshealth benefits from prunes and vice-versa.

For example, bioavailability of iron is achieved by increasing thecontent of nutrient enhancing iron absorption (such as vitamin C).BON-BONE™ and PRUNETTI™ provide more than 55% of daily value needs foriron per 100 g of product because the addition iron content from thecocoa powder. In addition, a higher bioavailability of the non-heme ironis achieved with the higher vitamin C content of the prune paste incomparison to traditional prunes. Indeed, the drying process accordingto the present invention allowed vitamin C preservation in 2 to 10 timeshigher concentration compared to vitamin C concentration intraditionally dried plums. Available data on traditionally producedprunes indicate for example a vitamin C content of 0.6 mg/100 g whereasthe prune paste and prune-based products produced by the techniquesdescribed herein have a vitamin C content between 4 and 7.5 mg/100 g.BON-BONE™ and PRUNETTI™ may therefore be natural dietary iron sourceswith more than 55% of iron daily need per 100 g that can help inreducing iron deficiency and/or insufficiency (anemia). Experiments haveeven show that a prune-based product produced by the presently describedtechniques can provide up to 68%, optionally up to 75%, furtheroptionally up to 89%, of daily value needs of iron per 100 g of product.

Further, there is increasing evidence that vitamin K positively affectscalcium balance, a key mineral in bone metabolism. Vitamin K can notonly increase bone mineral density in osteoporotic people but alsoactually reduce fracture rates. In some implementations of the process,mixing prunes as a source of vitamin K and chia seeds as a calciumsource enhances beneficial effects on bone health improvement incomparison to prune itself. The process can further include combining aconcentrate of vitamin D, such that interaction of vitamin D, calciumand vitamin K help decreasing bone resorption, and thus contribute toprevent osteoporosis and loss of bone mass.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A process for producing a prune-basedproduct from plums, the process comprising: manually removing pit,petiole and residue from the plums to produce cleaned plums; drying thecleaned plums according to a temperature profile tailored to produceprunes retaining at least 75% of nutrients from the plums, the nutrientscomprising vitamin K, vitamin C, iron, potassium and phosphorus; andcombining the prunes with at least one nutrient-rich material to producethe prune-based product having a moisture content between 15 wt % and 30wt %.
 2. The process of claim 1, wherein combining the prunes with theat least one-nutrient rich ingredient comprises: grinding the prunes toproduce an extrudable prune paste having a moisture content between 20wt % and 30 wt %; and mixing the prune paste with the at least onenutrient-rich material.
 3. The process of claim 2, wherein combining theprunes with the at least one nutrient-rich material comprises mixing theprune paste with the at least one nutrient-rich material at a speedreducing or minimizing degradation of nutrients.
 4. The process of claim1, wherein combining the prunes with the at least one-nutrient richingredient comprises: mixing the prunes with the at least onenutrient-rich material to produce a prune-based mixture; and grindingthe prune-based mixture to produce an extrudable prune paste having amoisture content between 20 wt % and 30 wt %.
 5. The process of claim 1,wherein the drying comprises: subjecting the cleaned plums to a firsttemperature level during a first period; and then subjecting the plumsto a second temperature level during a second period; the secondtemperature level and second duration being lower than the firsttemperature level and first duration respectively, to produce the prunesand where the moisture content is between 25 wt % and 35 wt %.
 6. Theprocess of claim 5, wherein the first temperature level is between 40°C. and 65° C. and the first duration is between 8 hours and 12 hours;and wherein the second temperature level is between 30° C. and 60° C.and the second duration is between 3 hours and 5 hours.
 7. The processof claim 1, wherein the drying is performed to produce prunes having acontent of available simple sugars decreased by at least 5% incomparison to traditional prunes.
 8. The process of claim 1, whereincombining the prunes with the at least one nutrient-rich material isperformed with at least 50 wt % of prunes, optionally with at least 80wt % of prunes.
 9. The process of claim 1, wherein combining the pruneswith the at least one nutrient-rich material comprises selecting the atleast one nutrient-rich material to synergistically enhancebioavailability of specific nutrients from the prunes.
 10. The processof claim 1, wherein combining the prune paste with the at least onenutrient-rich material comprises mixing the prune paste with the atleast one nutrient-rich material at a temperature between 25° C. and 35°C.
 11. The process of claim 1, comprising shaping the prune-basedproduct into a desired shape.
 12. The process of claim 11, whereinshaping the prune-based product comprises at least one of: extruding theprune-based product into a bar shape, a spaghetti shape, or a bandshape; and cutting the prune-based product to produce bar segments,bite-sized segments, band, spaghettis of given length or analogsthereof.
 13. The process of claim 1, further comprising coating theshaped prune-based product with at least one layer of anothernutrient-rich material.
 14. The process of claim 1, comprising dryingthe prune-based product at room temperature.
 15. The process of claim 1,wherein the at least one nutrient-rich material comprises seeds, beans,other fruits than plum, vegetables, spices, at least one concentrate ofa nutrient or a combination thereof.
 16. The process of claim 15,wherein the at least one concentrate of a nutrient comprises vitamin D,vitamin A, calcium or a combination thereof.
 17. The process of claim15, wherein the beans are cocoa beans in the form of cocoa powder andthe seeds comprise chia seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds, raspberryseeds, blackberry seeds, chokeberry seeds or related seeds.
 18. Theprocess of claim 1, comprising combining at least 80 wt % of the prunepaste having a moisture content between 20% and 30%, a non-heme ironcontent between 10 mg and 20 mg, a vitamin K content between 48 μg and60 μg, a vitamin C content between 5 mg and 8 mg, a potassium contentbetween 1000 mg and 1250 mg, a calcium content between 100 and 150 mgper 100 g of prune-based product, and a content of available simplesugars decreased by at least 10% in comparison to traditional prunes.19. A process for producing a prune paste from plums, the processcomprising: manually removing pit, petiole and residue from the plums toproduce cleaned plums; drying the cleaned plums according to atemperature profile tailored to produce prunes retaining at least 75% ofnutrients from the plums, the nutrients comprising vitamin K, vitamin C,iron, potassium and phosphorus; and grinding the prunes to produce anextrudable prune paste having a moisture content between 20 wt % and 30wt %.
 20. The process of claim 19, wherein the prunes have a content ofavailable simple sugars decreased by at least 10% in comparison totraditional prunes.